A boarding team from Rotterdam was approaching a suspect dhow near the
coast when they came under fire from ashore and from the dhow itself.
When Rotterdam returned fire in accordance with rules of engagement,
officials said, the dhow ignited and crew members were seen leaping into
the water. One dhow crew member was killed in this action, and 25
people were subsequently rescued from the water by Rotterdam crew
members, officials said.

Commodore Ben Bekkering of the Dutch
navy, commander of the NATO Task Force, said that the Rotterdam and her
boats remained under sustained fire from the shore throughout the
incident, even while attempting to rescue the crew of the stricken dhow.
One of Rotterdam’s rigid inflatable boats was damaged, he said.

Those rescued were transferred to the NATO flagship, where those who
required it were given prompt medical attention. No Rotterdam crew
members were injured.

"We know that pirates are increasingly
using larger dhows as mother ships,” Bekkering said. “Therefore, we
routinely inspect them. In this instance, the pirates openly choose
confrontation. This does not happen often, and it indicates that we are,
indeed, impeding their operations and in doing so, pushing them to take
more extreme options.”

Bekkering praised the “calm
professionalism” of the Rotterdam crew and said this incident, together
with Rotterdam’s successful Oct. 11 interdiction of seven pirates, made
two things very clear.

“Firstly, it is obvious that the scourge
of piracy has not gone away, and we need to maintain our vigilance,” he
said. “Secondly, the risks to the pirates themselves are becoming much
greater, and while we regret any loss of life, we will deal with any
threat we encounter in a firm, robust, but always proportionate,
manner.”